Chapter 194: Farewell

  “What… what is all this?”

  John had been expecting more surgical equipment, extravagant machinery, odd-looking contraptions, anything of the sort, but no. The room was small and simple.

  Against the wall sat a large tube, large enough to fit a person inside. Attached to it were some tubes and wires, many of them leading to what seemed to be a simple control panel. There was a crude chair sitting next to it, and that was it.

  A locked room, just for this?

  “It is as I remember,” Henry said quietly, looking around.

  “As you… remember?”

  “I was an assistant,” he explained. “A closely trusted one at that. I… I had a hand in the creation of your sister. I interacted with the strange energy Doctor mentioned, although I neither understood its abilities nor its origins. All I know is that your sister harbours it. And, from what I’ve seen… it seems you do as well.”

  “What’s your point?” John said carefully.

  “Do you want to save her?”

  “...yeah.”

  Henry looked at John, his expression painfully pitiful.

  “Do you value your sister more than the power that created her?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” John frowned, growing somewhat defensive.

  “I mean, if you had to sacrifice that power in your hands, would you do it? It’s quite the power. I wouldn’t fault you for keeping it to yourself,” Henry said, gesturing to John’s closed fist.

  John flinched. That was right. To this man, John was just someone who was “familiar” with [Deus Ex Machina]. He didn’t know that John was the source. The origin.

  To anyone else, such power would definitely be tempting.

  “I just have to give this up?” John said, looking at the orb in his hands. “Fine. Tell me what to do.”

  “...really? That easily?” Henry said, surprised. “That’s-”

  “Henry,” Jinae said softly. “That man… is the lead I was talking about. That energy is familiar to him… because it’s his.”

  At that, Henry’s eyes went wide.

  “That- it’s- ah. I… I understand,” he said with a soft laugh. “Then that’s why… Very well, then. I suppose there isn’t much to question.”

  “Just tell me what to do,” John repeated.

  “Very well. First, bring your sister over. We need to put her in the tank.”

  “The tank?”

  Henry gestured to the large tube.

  “Ah. The tank,” John said, feeling a little stupid.

  He walked over, carefully picking Prota up. Her body felt a little cold, but thankfully, there was still a pulse. She was still breathing. There was no reaction to being lifted into the air, but she was alive.

  For the moment, that was all that mattered.

  “Over here,” Henry said, waving John over.

  He took a look at the control panel, muttering a few words before a spark of electricity flew out of his hands. This seemed to kickstart the machine, a few lights flickering to life. John watched as buttons were pressed in some kind of sequence, resulting in the tube swinging open.

  “Put her in there.”

  For a moment, John hesitated. This seemed dangerous. Was this really what was meant to happen? It was only when he realized he had no other choice that he followed the instructions.

  “Good.”

  A few more buttons, and the tube closed back up, somehow sealing itself. John looked closely, but he couldn’t even find a line that might have shown where the glass was meant to open up.

  “Don’t bother,” Henry said. “It’s made out of a spell. There’s no physical hinge.”

  John fell back, once again feeling a little foolish.

  Why was he feeling so nervous? This was a [Character]. Either she made it, or she didn’t. Yes, he cared for her, but ultimately, he couldn’t do anything about it. Why the sudden emotion? He’d never felt this way before. Fear? At a time like this? For what?

  No. There was no point in thinking like this anymore. He’d realized that these people mattered to him. Prota wasn’t just a [Character].

  She was his sister.

  Thus, it was normal to feel nervous. If something went wrong… it was time to admit she was someone he didn’t want to lose. And if that was the case, then there was no point in questioning himself.

  He looked into the tube, trying to calm himself down. Prota was standing there, perfectly still, looking like a doll. So peaceful. So calm.

  “Now, the last step.”

  Henry motioned for John to come over to the control panel. He obeyed silently, his mind now empty of thoughts.

  “I suppose I’ll explain what’s going on first,” Henry said. “This is the mechanism we used to create Prota. Of course, most of the work was done by Doctor, but I believe this will work.”

  “Hold on, you believe?” John frowned. “Not sure?”

  “Do you have any other suggestions?”

  At that, John remained silent. Henry nodded, seemingly satisfied with John’s lack of response, and continued.

  “I myself don’t know how it works. However, this was what allowed ‘conceptual energy’ to be injected into living bodies. Of course, the machine went through multiple versions, but this is the one that created your sister.”

  “...I think I understand.”

  “Yes, you see where this is going. Simply put, I believe your sister needs a recharge. And if this machine could do it once-”

  “Why not again?” John nodded.

  John looked back at Prota one more time. Was this worth it? Was this what she would want? Well, come to think of it, she likely would just ask John what he wanted to do. That line of thought would get him nowhere.

  Ultimately, he didn’t know how to approach the situation. There were no pros or cons he could think of. No logical set of benefits and consequences. Had it been him before meeting Prota, he would have said yes in a heartbeat. Any amount of [Deus Ex Machina] energy was infinitely more valuable than any [Character].

  But John had changed. Life wasn’t so simple as that. Things weren’t restricted to benefits and consequences. Relationships were no longer useless. The bonds he’d made, the memories he’d created, they held value, even if they couldn’t be used.

  The world, once black and white, was slowly turning colourful.

  “I understand if you want to back out,” Henry said patiently. “It is… a difficult choice to make.”

  “Nah,” John said casually.

  This shouldn’t have been a hard decision. Hadn’t he been preparing for this? Come to think of it, a situation just like this was something he’d been preparing himself for. He’d known he might lose Prota at some point. He’d been afraid of it. He’d had a long talk with Prota, making sure she was ready for what might come.

  So if he’d done all that, then why was he hesitating now? Saving Prota shouldn’t have been a hard choice. He was beginning to wonder how he’d even hesitated at all.

  “Let’s do it,” he said confidently. “What do I have to do?”

  “...I admire your resolve,” Henry said, smiling.

  He pressed a few buttons, and a small vial popped out of a hole in the control panel. It was a little larger than the orb in John’s hand, but it was clear what was meant to go inside.

  “This is it. No lights. No smoke. Once we go through with this, there’s no backing out. One last time. Are you sure?” Henry said, grabbing John’s hand.

  It was surprisingly soft. Yes, the skin was hard and calloused, but at the same time, Henry’s grip was gentle. The man was being incredibly empathetic to someone he’d just met. Then again, he’d cared for Prota as well.

  Perhaps he cared more than he let on.

  “...hey,” John said suddenly. “Why… what made you save her? What was the point? She’s an experiment. She’s a weapon. I get that you’re not a cultist, but why risk your life to save her? Why go out of your way to try and give her a comfortable life?”

  “I… it’s been so long,” Henry said wistfully. “I cannot say for sure. I had no children of my own. I suppose, in some ways, I saw her as a daughter I never had, but then again, perhaps not. I felt no strong connection to the girl. If it had to be anything… I suppose everyone deserves a chance, no matter their origin. It matters not what your purpose is. It is what you do with yourself that determines where you go.”

  “And that’s enough?”

  “Is it not? I saw a girl with a life ahead of her. She was put in a village where her life was a lie. Her surroundings were fabricated to lead her down a path of death and destruction. Should she choose that path of her own will, I suppose I shall try to stop it. But the point is that it was a path of her own will, not a path laid out for her. The consequences of her actions will be hers to bear, not because she was forced into a path, but because it was what she chose.”

  “...I see,” John said.

  Somehow, those words felt like they weren’t just directed at Prota.

  “In that way, I suppose I must thank you, John,” Henry said, turning to him. “You showed her that there is more to life than this. I failed to consider what might happen otherwise.”

  John didn’t say anything. He just turned to the machine, inserting the fraction of [Deus Ex Machina] energy he’d received.

  “Let’s do it.”

  Henry nodded. “Very well.”

  With the press of a button, the vial slid back in, and the lights began to flicker. Henry frowned, pushing a few more buttons, but whatever the problem was, it seemed to be getting worse.

  “What in the… what’s going on?”

  John, who had been suppressing his fear for a while, slowly began to feel it creep into his heart once more.

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  “What do you mean, what’s going on?”

  “John,” Jinae said, grabbing him.

  He nearly jumped. Jinae hadn’t said anything in quite some time, and John had almost forgotten she was there.

  “Let him do his job,” she said quietly. “I’m not sure what that machine does, but it seems to have some incredibly complex mana signatures. Let him focus, at least until it settles down.”

  John wanted to argue, to push Jinae off and demand answers, but the small voice of reason left inside of him prevented this. Jinae was right.

  If there was a chance of saving Prota, he had to take it.

  For a few tense minutes, John simply stopped and stared, unsure of what was going on, only able to trust in the process. A small part of his mind wondered if anyone had been put in a similar situation because of him. Not knowing the situation, but only able to trust that the one helping would be able to do their job.

  Finally, Henry stopped his work. Leaning back, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

  “...so?” John said hesitantly.

  “It’s… Doctor,” Hentry muttered. “Even when you’re not here, you just have to make things difficult, don’t you?”

  John’s heart froze. “What do you mean?”

  “The machine works,” Henry explained. “But without Doctor present, it doesn’t operate well. I’m not sure why he didn’t disable it entirely, but it seems that without its creator, the rate at which it works is a thousand times longer.”

  “A thousand… times?” John said, his voice barely a whisper.

  “Yes. So, for Prota… it will be five years before she’s recovered.”

  At that, John collapsed. Five years. Not forever. Just five years.

  He’d gone on far longer than that without her. He hated to do it, but it was better than nothing.

  “I… I see,” John said with a shaky laugh. “That’s… that’s good. Do you guys mind… giving me a minute?”

  Henry and Jinae nodded. “Of course.”

  They silently left, closing the door behind them. Jinae was kind enough to leave a light on, illuminating the room.

  “...what now?” John muttered.

  He got up, pulling the crude chair in front of the tube, where Prota continued to lie, emotionless.

  “It… it looks like this is it, Prota,” John said suddenly.

  He didn’t know what he was doing. His words were coming from nowhere in particular, the direction of his speech unknown. Was he talking to a Prota that wasn’t here? To himself? To the [Author]? To the [Readers]?

  It didn’t matter.

  “It… it looks like this is it for now,” John continued. “I’m… I’m sorry. I should have been a better brother. I should have been a better family member. Your life, your existence… it’s my fault. Your pain wasn’t just random. It was me. I did this. I…”

  For a moment, he wanted to blame the [Author], but for all of the [Author’s] actions, there were some things John couldn’t pin on them.

  His actions. His responses. He could control himself. But he didn’t. He merely dodged responsibility, shifting the blame to the [Author]. Here, however, was a situation he could have avoided. There were things he wanted to say that could no longer be said. There were things he wanted to do that he only just now realized.

  He was old, but he had yet to be wise.

  “I’m sorry, Prota,” John said quietly. “Really. All of this… I’m sorry. I know it might be too late, but… I’ll grow. I’ll grow into someone you can be proud of. Although, I’m not sure that you’re ever really disappointed in me.”

  He let out a short laugh at that. His sister, for all her strengths, failed to see his faults for so long. Blinded by naivety, perhaps? A sense of disillusion, a sort of worship gone wrong? Had he not saved her, would she still trust him the way she did?

  “Thank you. It looks like I’ve realized how important you were a little too late. I… I’m an idiot. I’m pretty stupid. Although, I think that’s pretty obvious. Isn’t it? I’m pretty dumb.”

  John was rambling at this point, but for the first time in a while, he was feeling. He was letting his emotions pour out in a way he had yet to do in this world. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t feeling rage, nor was he exuberant. This wasn’t a moment of celebration or revenge. This wasn’t Doctor’s defeat, nor was it his declaration of independence. This wasn’t Sofya’s death, nor was it realizing that he was a [Character], just like everyone else.

  This was a moment of quiet reflection. There was no trigger for his release. He simply… felt he needed to express himself.

  The [Characters] he had so often looked down on had been the ones to bring this out of him.

  “I’ll try to do better. To be honest, I don’t know if I will,” John admitted. “But this is better than nothing at all, isn’t it? So wait for me. We’ll see each other again. Just five years. We can do that much, right?”

  Suddenly, John felt something drip down his cheek. He reached up in surprise, wiping it with his hands, only to find they’d grown wet. His fingers glistened in the faint light, reflecting the pale orb Jinae had left behind.

  “Tears?” he said, surprised. “Wh- why am I crying? I’m not- I’m not even that sad. Why… What’s going on?”

  Even as he spoke, he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. They poured down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor, each little splash echoing out. His vision grew blurry, but he just couldn’t stop it.

  “That’s… I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.”

  With those words, he began to laugh. It started off as nothing but a snort of amusement. Then a chuckle. Slowly, it grew longer, louder, until John was fully laughing, a deep, hearty laugh that came from the soul.

  “Yeah. I’ll be back, alright?” John said, standing up.

  He put his fist to the glass, as if Prota would wake up and return the fistbump.

  “Just wait.”

  With that, he wiped his eyes, pulling out a mirror to check that he didn’t look too pitiful. He wasn’t looking to have Jinae and Henry find him all teary-eyed and pathetic-looking.

  “...my eyes are still red.”

  He gave it a few more minutes until he had composed himself once more. As soon as he was confident in his appearance, he pushed the door open, only to find Henry and Jinae speaking in hushed tones.

  “Ah. You’ve said what you wanted to say?” Jinae said, standing up.

  “Yeah. What were you two talking about?”

  “Well…” Jinae looked at Henry. “It’s best if he explains.”

  Henry sighed, stepping inside.

  “John. There’s one more thing I didn’t tell you.”

  John’s eyes shot up. There was more?

  “Someone needs to stay here and watch the machine.”

  “I’ll do it,” John said immediately.

  “No. You cannot. You do not understand how to operate the machine in case of emergency.”

  “Then who? You?” John pointed out. “You’re gonna stay down here for five years?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to say,” Jinae said angrily. “He can’t. His body doesn’t have enough left to do such a thing!”

  “How are you going to eat? Drink? Have you thought this through?” John said, nodding. “Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but…”

  “I can do it.”

  John snorted, looking at Jinae expectantly, but she didn’t refute the statement. He went quiet at that.

  “My specialty is time magic,” Henry explained. “I can keep my body in a state of stasis for five years while keeping my motor functions and brain operating as normal.”

  “...so you’ll be effectively immortal and invincible for the time being?” John exclaimed in surprise.

  “Aside from a blow to the head, yes.”

  “Then-”

  “What he’s not saying is that this spell will cost his life,” Jinae said angrily. “Henry. You can’t-”

  “And I told you, this will atone for my sins. I was involved in the creation of an abomination, and it is only thanks to a set of extraordinary circumstances that the innocents involved did not suffer more. I created a child that should have never been put through the things that child went through. Even if it were unnecessary to sacrifice my life, I believe it is only fitting to do so.”

  “John, surely you see how ridiculous this is, don’t you?” Jinae said, huffing and puffing. “Tell him it’s crazy!”

  John, however, didn’t respond. For a moment, he went silent, and his eyes met with Henry’s.

  “...is it the only way?”

  “It is.”

  Jinae opened her mouth, but John spoke first.

  “And this is what you want? You know, I get the feeling that there’s a lot of people who wouldn’t want you gone. This is really selfish, you know. I can’t… I’m a pretty selfish guy myself. That’s the only reason I’m entertaining this. Think about the people you’ll leave behind. You made one mistake that hurt a lot of people. Are you really alright with making another?”

  “I may as well be gone,” Henry sighed. “I cannot live with myself any longer. Each day would be agony. Please. I implore of you. I understand the consequences, but… it is better this way. At least let my soul be put to rest.”

  With a sigh, John put his hand on Jinae’s shoulder.

  “Can you refute that?”

  Jinae’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Henry… it was a pleasure knowing you.”

  “Likewise. Perhaps we will meet again, in a new life, in a new world,” he said, a smile lighting up his face.

  He began to move, but before he could enter the room once more, John put his hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

  “Hey. You’re still a truth hunter, aren’t you?”

  Henry’s eyes shot up in surprise. “Well, yes.”

  “John-” Jinae started.

  “Look. I don’t recommend you do this. But if you want to know the truth you’ve been looking for… I’ll give it to you. But I’ll write it down. Promise me you won’t look at it until the five years are up,” John said, his voice almost pleading. “Please.”

  “But… why?”

  “It sucks. The truth sucks, man. But I get the feeling of searching for something so long, only to never find it. So if you believe that this pain is worth suffering for… I just want to give you the option.”

  For a moment, both Henry and Jinae were stunned, but Henry soon began to smile.

  “Thank you, John.”

  “Yeah, no problem. Oh, one last thing. Just in case… can you give this to Prota?”

  He pulled out something from his pocket, passing it to Henry.

  “What is it?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” John assured him. “She’ll know. It’s… it’s just in case.”

  After that, everything felt like a blur to John. He wrote down what he knew on a piece of paper and folded it up, passing it to what was now a walking corpse.

  “Oh. And… keep Doctor’s notebook. Just… just in case.”

  “Yes. Farewell, then.”

  Goodbyes were exchanged, and the door shut silently as Henry entered the room.

  “Is it really that bad?” Jinae said quietly as they began to leave the lab.

  “Yeah. You plan on living, don’t you?”

  “...I see.”

  The two made their way back to the start, opening the hatch and making their way back to the village. They shared a silent dinner, then prepared to part ways.

  Before they did so, however, Jinae stopped John one last time.

  “...John. Are you truly alright?”

  “Yeah,” John nodded. “I… well, I don’t know. But I’m better than before. Thanks for checking on me, but I’ll be fine.”

  “Where will you go?”

  “I’ve got a few things I could do. Don’t worry about it too much. I’m sure we’ll meet again. If you really want to check on me, come back here in five years. Well, that’s if everything is still fine and dandy. And, you know. Maybe we’ll see each other before those five years pass.”

  “...I’ll hold you to that,” Jinae smiled.

  John smiled. That was right. Farewells didn’t have to be tragic. Sometimes, a simple goodbye was enough.

  After all, what were the odds that something went wrong?

  “Sure. I’ll see you around, Jinae.”

  ~~~

  Prota slowly opened her eyes. Where was she? The last thing she remembered, she was fighting monsters, and then—

  John. Where was John?

  She tried to get up in a panic, only to bash her head against some glass. Trapped. She was trapped. What was going on?

  Suddenly, there was a hissing sound, and the glass swung open. She couldn’t see anything. Casting a fireball, the room was illuminated, and she could now see. Carefully, Prota climbed out, looking around. She was in a small room. There was what appeared to be a control panel nearby, and…

  “Chief,” she said quietly.

  The man looked like he was asleep, but Prota knew better. He was dead. There was a strange smile on his face, but that didn’t make him any less dead.

  Next to him on the floor was a piece of paper. Prota took a few steps forward, squinting.

  {For Prota}

  She picked it up, only to realize that the paper seemed fresh. Unfolding the paper, something small fell out, hitting the floor with a light clattering sound. She could pick that up later. For now, she needed to know what was going on.

  {By the time you’ve read this, five years will have passed. I’m sorry I could not break the news to you any easier, but I will not be alive when you read this.

  The situation is as such: you were fighting by Jinae’s side. To end it, you cast a spell that drained a strange power within you. You were placed in a machine that saved your life, but the healing process took five years to complete.

  I cannot say what has happened in these five years, nor can I predict what will happen next. I was to give you a tool that may assist you in determining where to go next. John said you would know what it is.

  Two more things. If you wish to understand your origins, there is a journal in my pocket. It belongs to a man named Doctor. I will not say anymore, and it seems John was reluctant to tell you this as well, but… you deserve to know the truth. If it is what you desire, you may take a look.

  Finally… I am so sorry, child. What you went through should never have happened. I am sorry I could not tell you in person, but… live a fulfilling life, Prota. Go, and do what you desire. Do not let your past drag you down any longer.

  As a way to make up for your sufferings, there is a magic circle in my other pocket. It should speed up the development of your core to its maturity. This cannot compensate fully, but I hope you accept this token of apology.

  Sincerely, Henry.}

  Prota slowly put the letter down. This was a lot to take in, but thankfully, she was used to hearing nonsensical things.

  First, take a deep breath. Next, take the items she needed. Reaching into Henry’s pockets, she found a worn down notebook and a magic circle, just as the letter had said. Surprisingly, his body was still warm. If he truly had died, he’d done so recently.

  “...thank you,” Prota muttered.

  First things first, she applied the magic circle, and a sudden fire was lit in her core. It was almost the same feeling as taking in John’s [Infinity].

  When the fire died down, she could feel the difference. Her core was massive. Its capacity had increased five, maybe even six times from what it’d been before. The spells she’d been struggling to cast were no problem now. Even if their technique was rough, Prota could simply inject more mana to smooth out the rough edges.

  Next, she put the notebook in her pocket. She was interested, and the truth wasn’t something she was afraid of. However, this wasn’t the time for that.

  Finally, she looked down, and saw what had fallen out of the letter Henry had given her.

  “...oh.”

  It was the communication device Danjo had made. Her friends from Scholaris all had one. So this was what John had meant.

  Still, it would be best if she wasn’t in this horrid lab before activating it. She covered Henry’s eyes, then pushed out, making her way back to the entrance. Five years might have passed, but to Prota, it was only a few hours ago since they’d entered.

  However, the sight waiting for her was not one she was expecting.

  Instead of a forest, there was only barren ground. Scorched earth and ashes were all that remained. There was no village, no people, nothing.

  “...what?” she muttered.

  Something was wrong. Very wrong. She quickly activated the device, hoping someone, anyone would answer.

  “Prota?”

  Her heart leaped in excitement. It was Destiny’s voice.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice still monotone despite her joy.

  “Oh, thank god. Well… I don’t know.”

  Prota’s joy quickly subsided. His voice was different. It was older, yes, but more than that, the hero sounded incredibly worn down. Just what had happened in these past few years?

  “John told me he’d given this to you. Told me to come find you if something went wrong.”

  The joy quickly turned to fear. Something had gone wrong?

  “So… as you can guess, something went wrong.”

  Prota’s heart sank.

  “Is that Prota? Hi, Prota!” another voice exclaimed, this one sounding a little more distant.

  Despite everything, some of Prota’s fear subsided. It was Briar. If nothing else, her positivity seemed to have remained. It seemed some things were constant in this world, no matter what.

  “There’s a lot to explain,” Destiny’s voice continued. “I’ll… I’ll come pick you up. There’s a lot we have to talk about.”

  With that, the device went silent. Prota sat down, sitting, waiting.

  Having nothing else to do, she pulled out the notebook and began to read.